The Squirrels and a Dalmation got me this season!

ladyrose65April 30, 2014

I watched this morning as the squirrels went in-and-out of my containers. I knew something was wrong with my germination more than the cold weather. . .? I found deep impressions in my containers. The neighbor's Dalmatian 'Belle' followed-up a visit and went into the jugs smelling for the squirrels. I Love animals, but I buy a lot of my seeds from Hazzard's and Swallowtail, they are not cheap. This is my 4th season WSing, and I can't figure out why the squirrels are so attracted to my jugs?

Other than pepper what can I put down to deter the squirrels and the dog?

So sorry about your containers. My one great dane thinks it's great fun to grab the handle of a milk jug and fling it around the yard. So far this year he hasn't gotten any. The other used to pull any tall plant out of planters. Then I started using red pepper flakes in areas where I didn't want them. It seemed to work. Apparently they don't like the smell.

Rabbits are a problem once my veg garden starts to produce. Last year, DH bought a rabbit repellent spray, but I didn't feel right putting it on the vegetables.

We're redoing the wire fencing around the garden this year so maybe I can make it harder for them to get in, but from what I've seen they're really good at squeezing through places you'd never think they'd fit.

I've been gardening for almost 50 years, but I've never had this problem before. Squirrels are digging in my vegetable beds like crazy, lookin for their buried nuts. I've worked up sections where they've been digging and finding the nuts just a few inches off from where they dug. And I have a pretty good sized garden--all permanent bed--and they've been digging EVERYWHERE. I've taken to covering planted areas with deer netting--it works, but it's a real pain to set it over every planted area.